


Cuentos de los Muertos

by Tomomi



Category: Bravely Default (Video Game) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, a little bit ago, demo party, did this for a zine, kinda uhhhh HATE IT NOW but I SHOULD STILL POST
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:55:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26816974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tomomi/pseuds/Tomomi
Summary: One wrong turn and the party takes an evening stop at a local village during one of the most special days of the year.-Done for a Holiday Bravely Zine earlier in the year! Meant to post it a while ago!
Kudos: 1





	Cuentos de los Muertos

“I  _ told  _ you we made a wrong turn,” Janne’s voice was becoming increasingly agitating by the hour, but Magnolia ignored him and kept herself focused on the map. She laid it down on a flat rock and scanned her eyes over the various lines and pathways. Yew looked over her shoulder, silently reading as he tapped his finger against his chin. 

“Aha!” He snapped his fingers, startling Magnolia slightly. He reached over her shoulder and pointed at a specific spot on the map. “We were supposed to take a  _ right  _ at that fork in the road back there.” Truthfully, she wasn’t paying much attention to what he was saying, as she was desperately trying to ignore the warmth of his cheek against hers.

“Yeah, that’s what I said.” Janne added, twirling a hair tie around his finger. “Three hours ago. None of you know how to read a map, and it shows.”

“Come on, Janne-”

“ _ One _ wrong turn and I don’t know how to read a map?!” 

“Please, let’s not fight so late in the day.” Nikolai remarked, gazing up at the warm sky above. “We should set up camp soon. I doubt we could reach that fork before nightfall.”

Yew and Janne both let out a collective groan, dropping their things to the ground. Janne lazily kicked a rock to the side, “Y’know, we probably would’ve found an inn by now if you all would have listened to me earlier.”

Yew was already unpacking when Magnolia shot up from her slump, grinning ear to ear. “Ah! I found something!”

Nikolai, who had just sat himself on a rock slab, sighed, “Truthfully, I feel as though I’ve heard that twelve times today. Spare me your antics, my feet are rather sore.”

“Non! It’s listed right here! Straight ahead should be a small town. I swear it’s not far!” Yew came over and checked. He then nodded.

“Yeah…” Yew scratched the side of his neck. “Although, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place before…” He then smiled, quickly rolling up the map. “Well, it’s way better than sleeping out in the dark!” 

“I agree!” Magnolia threw their belongings over her back. “Let’s go then!”

* * *

“Is this some sort of... festival?” Magnolia asked, cocking her head at the bright paper decorations that hung from every building. People were dressed in bold, beautiful colors, complementing the pep in their dancing feet. The gang made their way through the town in search of an inn, being mindful of the many, many children running amok. 

Just as they passed this smaller home, a youthful woman popped out of her window grinning ear to ear. Upon her head was a large floral headdress, and her face was painted with vivid colors. The second she caught a good look at the group, she busted out in a fit of giggles.

The group was caught off guard by her sudden laughter. Janne was the first to ask, “What’s so funny, lady?”

“Ayyy,” She shook her head, smiling. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

“Ohhh, no. We’re not.” Yew stepped up to the window. “We actually got lost and were just looking for a place to-”

“Don’t worry about it!” She flung his money back at him, laughing at his bewildered face. “For tonight, you stay for free!”

“H-here?” Yew choked out on instinct, then covering his mouth in hopes of not offending the woman. By her knowing glance, she seemed to not mind.

“Oh my! How generous!” Magnolia gasped. Her eyes slowly narrowed as she looked her over. “But what’s so special about today?”

“You can’t see for yourself? Hoy es el dia de los muertos!” 

“Pardon?” Nikolai raised a brow. He looked at Yew and Magnolia, but they just shrugged.

“Day of the dead.” Janne suddenly said. The rest focused their attention on him, but he just crossed his arms and quickly looked away. “At least, that’s what I think it means”

“Correct.” The woman smiled at him, but he wouldn’t look at her. “This is a night we take to celebrate our loved ones. The ones that aren’t with us anymore.” 

“Oh, like a… memorial?” Magnolia tapped her cheek. “It’s so lively…”

“Yes! Our loved ones wouldn’t want us to be sad, now would they?” She leaned against the counter. Her voice softened. “It’s a time of love and joy. And we’re happy to share. So please.”  
Nikolai smiled, looking outside. “It does seem like a grand occasion. Let’s enjoy ourselves for the night.” 

The woman smiled and came from behind the window, opening her door wide and presenting herself, “Forgive my rudeness! Soy Leonali! Make yourselves at home!”

* * *

Yew gasped at the feeling of cold paint on his cheek. He sat in a small chair alongside a chatty family, one whose eldest daughter offered to paint him.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen so many people gathered like this.” He felt the skin under his eye start to itch and reached up to scratch it. His hand was then quickly smacked away.

“Basta!” The daughter hissed at him.

“S-sorry about that-”

“Well that’s hard to believe.” The mother said as she pulled away from the stand. “Do you not have a family to come home to?”

Yew swallowed hard at this and simply looked away. He paid attention to the strung up lights around the stand, that is until his chin was roughly yanked back over.

“Stay still!”

“It’s a little difficult… your hands are really cold, you know!”

“Huh?” She squinted at him before shaking her head and continuing. He felt her drag her paintbrush around his cheek once more. “Aaaaaand…. Done!” 

She smiled, looking over his face. She seemed to be pleased with the look, but Yew could hardly move his face underneath the paint.

“Can I see it?” He asked begrudgingly. The face paint was hardening, and feeling it crack and move against his skin made him feel gross. The mother and daughter brought over a covered mirror, in which Yew took it upon himself to pull away the fabric. But the second he saw his reflection, he jumped out of his seat as if he was afraid of his own shadow.

The family busted out laughing as he scrambled to fix himself. He pulled himself up to see his face again. His face was white, ghostly even, with eyes darker than an eclipse. Around his cheeks and forehead was a swirly pattern that looked oddly unique for its simplicity. But when it all came down to it, he was painted as a skull!

“W-woah!” Yew finally choked out, reaching up to touch his face before getting smacked again.

“You’re gonna mess it up!!” 

“I look… like a-”

“-Like a dead person!” 

“Y-yeah, I guess..?” Yew shook his head and looked closer at his reflection. “This looks so cool… and you did it so fast..!”

The daughter twirled her paintbrush between her stained fingers, grinning with pride. “Yeah, I’d hope so! I do this every year.”

Yew smiled and sat back down. He reached into his wallet to pull out some money.

“Oh, don’t pull that out!” The girl fanned away his hands from reaching into his bag. “I don’t do this for money!”

“So it’s just for fun? I paint for myself too, heh..” Yew scratched his head and glanced at his book.

“It’s not just  _ fun _ , it’s tradition.” She corrected, sitting down and crossing her legs. “I don’t take you as that much of an artist.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Yew tried to laugh it off, but the girl had a spark in her eye that he knew all too well. Just then, she smacked- what he hoped to be- a fake decorated skull on the table, then scooted her supplies his way.

“Paint me.”

“W-what? Um, I don’t really- you know, I’m more of a…” He stuttered, but he already knew by that look in her eye that he wasn’t getting out of this one. So with a defeated sigh, he picked up a paintbrush and gave it all he could. 

The girl’s family watched as he worked, which only wrecked his nerves further. She was deathly still- rather fitting for the occasion- and patient with his little slip ups- such as jabbing the brush directly into her eye. It was difficult to follow the pattern of the skull’s design, perhaps because he was overthinking it, or perhaps he was too shaken by having to reference back to a  _ literal skull _ . But it was over before he knew it, and he couldn’t help but feel proud of seeing her face light up upon seeing her reflection. 

She looked over herself, staying quiet for a moment. Her family gushed behind her over his handiwork, which only pushed the daughter into one of her typical huffs.

“It’s not  _ bad _ for a first time-er.” She pushed away the mirror and crossed her arms. “Still needs plenty of work!” 

Yew couldn’t help but grin at her. He made a mental note to keep her unpainted face fresh in his mind so that he could note about her in his journal later.

* * *

Magnolia’s little detour turned into a leisurely stroll. She had long given up on following Yew, or rather, forgotten about it entirely. Indeed, she was instead enamoured by the speckled yellow petals scattered along the streets. There was a sweet aroma in the air, attentively guiding her along the patches of yellow flared up the town in celebration.

Flowers were of great importance back on the moon- their meaning was special and sacred to her people, especially when being given as a gift. But she had never seen flowers like this before.

Her pace came to a sudden halt as her eyes caught something breathtaking. “ _ Es magnifique!”  _

She was standing in front of a gated hill, made of only these golden flowers. It sloped up taller than she could see, making her feel insignificantly small- a feeling she wasn’t too familiar with. A pit was in her stomach, as deep and unsettled as a bubbling hot spring.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” She brought out of her trance by a kind voice by her side. She looked and saw a small boy at her knees, clinging to the gates as he was crouched by the bars.

“It looks like a big fluffy pillow, doesn’t it?” His eyes looked almost bedazzled as he grinned up to Magnolia.

She smiled back and looked up at the mound. “Just what are they?” She then felt as though they weren’t entirely alone, and turned to see a rather large crowd surface from the streets to her and the boy. A particular man came forward and rubbed the boy’s head. He looked like he was the boy’s father. 

“Marigolds. They’re our town’s sacred flower, and a symbol for our people.” 

“Mary-golds?” Magnolia cocked her head at this and then hummed. “We don’t have these on the moon…”

“Huh?” The boy was looking up at her now, and she wanted to laugh at how puzzled he was.

“Oh, never-mind.” She laughed, and then looked at the bars of the gates. She realized that these were most definitely put in place to protect the mound from being crushed by little kids who wanted to play in it. 

So, Magnolia crouched down by the boy. 

“Want a better view?” She grinned when he all but tackled her back trying to climb up it. But once he was settled, she stood up and let him see the marigolds from up high. She would never admit it, but hearing the boy’s bewildered gasp at the sight made her heart feel lighter.

A lot more townsfolk came around and looked over the gates alongside them, but Magnolia hardly minded. It was warm and kind, and it smelled like  _ home.  _ Not her home, per say, but  _ home. _

* * *

“Quite the joyous occasion…” Nikolai mused to himself as he watched various kids and families dance and holler in bundles at a time. At no point were the streets bare at all. It seemed every second, new people showed up to decorate the scene like some sort of painting. People, who all come from different homes, all joined together-symbolically linking arms in a sweet union.

Everyone was expressing their free spirits, as if the harder they smiled, and the louder they laughed, the closer they would become.

Nikolai then smiled something ghostly and walked off. He tried to simply drift through the town like some sort of spectator, but every step felt as though he was escaping the nabbing hands of some young couple wanting him to join them for some food or music. And he’d decline politely, simply because he felt he had no place among these people. He knew nothing of them or their culture, and he certainly didn’t  _ look  _ like he belonged here. 

So he tried to stay out of their way.

But as soon as he passed by the crowded dock connecting the sea to the town, he felt as though he was a magnet to these people. Countless hands grabbed at him and pulled him along, pushing him forward through the crowd, chanting various words he just couldn’t understand- although, they sounded quite  _ excited _ . Even if he were to be rude, he was of no match to the strength of the townsfolk. 

And thus, he somehow landed himself inside a boat. Him and 20 or so other people were crammed into this little boat. Along the sides of the boat were messily thrown about ribbons, and the ledge was dotted with skulls of various sizes. The floor was creaky and woody, and a part of Nikolai worried if it would hold the weight of everyone. But before he could protest, the boat had already kicked off into the vast waters. The crowd cheered as though they were embarking on some grand adventure, one that held many twists and turns, and new sights to see.

And what a sight to behold. 

The boat ride took him and the others around in a large loop overlooking the east side of the town and the beautiful horizon. The sun was just setting, making the waters blend from a dusty blue to a soft, bright orange. From the sea, the town looked absolutely gorgeous, with all the bright decorations and strung up lights holding the buildings together like a tightly wrapped gift. Not exactly  _ perfect _ per say, but secure and above all else, personal. 

Nikolai felt like he had forgotten everything as he looked on from where he sat. What he and the others were doing, his past, the future- even where he was  _ now _ . Nothing came to him. All he could think about was…

How great it felt to be  _ alive _ .

And when the ride ended, much sooner than he wished, he stepped off astonished by the change in time. It had already become dark, yet it felt like he was on the water for only a few minutes. A part of him wanted to revert back to the sidelines, away from the noise and pestering kids, and back to the comfort of his own bubble where he could think and  _ focus  _ in peace. 

But truthfully, it was intoxicating to  _ not think _ for once. To have the mind run careless is dangerous, and Nikolai knew this very well. Yet he couldn’t stop himself from getting lost in the crowd once more.

* * *

Janne laid on his bed staring up at the ceiling. The faint music pounded against the walls, making it difficult for him to sleep. He could still feel the bright lights through his closed eyes. It was hot and loud and irritatingly welcoming. Even within his lone room in the house, everything was dolled and strung up like some kind of party- as if this was supposed to be a cheery night.

Well, frankly, it  _ wasn’t  _ for Janne. And he’d much rather sleep it away than make a fool of himself out there with the locals.

He heard his door creak open, and a giggle came from the door. He was  _ very _ aware that the homeowner was there. She had been hounding him all evening- “come do this” or “come see that”.

“Still stuck in here, huh?” And there came her voice, one that was quite difficult to ignore. 

“You know-” Janne squeezed his eyes harder, biting back a snide remark. “I’d like some time alone, if you don’t mind.” He heard a snicker.

“Sure, I hear you.” Leonali shook her head smiling. “But I can’t live without letting a kid go a night without eating anything. So come out and eat something.”

He kept still, but he could still hear her breathing by the door. He waited and waited, until finally he heard the door faintly shut.

But who was she anyway? Who was she to demand him to give a lick of his time away?

Janne then opened his eyes and sighed.

The same one who gave them a place to stay in the first place.

He stiffly pushed himself up from the bed and left the room. As if he came to a dining room, he saw a full table set with an abundance of food. Leonali was just taking off her apron as she noticed him.

“Oh!” She then beamed a bright smile and fumbled to find him a plate, comically so. Janne couldn’t help smiling at her efforts. 

The table wasn’t big per say, like it wasn’t any 20 ft long family table. But the food seemed to feed a family of at least 10, and scattered around were various chairs and shoes- as if at one point, this little home cared for many.

But there was only one person at the table with him. He neglected to mention it, but she must’ve seen from his face that he had questions.

“It’s silly really. I know this home seems like dirt to you-” She stopped herself and covered her mouth. “Well- at least, that’s what other visitors have said to me. But it wasn’t always like this.” She glanced at the shoes left around the floor. “There were more…”

“Ehh,” Janne cut her off, swinging his arms behind his head and kicking back. “I don’t wanna hear it. Keep your baggage to yourself.” He looked off. His attention was sparked when he heard a chair creek against the wooden floors.

Leonali stood at the other end of the table, “It’s not baggage.” She went on to exit the room -and of course Janne had to follow- down a set of stairs to a horribly drab and damp basement. From what Janne could see, there was a small table pushed against the wall. Spotted on top of the tablecloth were various paintings of people young and old. Some were portraits, others were hastily made sketches. Their faces could hardly be seen from the little light shining in from the top of the stairs.

“Why do you have it all crammed down here?” Janned asked as he looked it over. “The ofrenda.” He clarified, as though to make a point.

Leonali gave a knowing smile and approached the table.For the first time all day, she seemed shy with her words, “Because..” Her eyes flickered around as though she was searching for a lie. Unable to find one, she just sighed and went with the truth. “This was our favorite place to be.” She gestured to all around her, as if there was something more than a cold, wet basement. “There’s no distractions, you know? No fighting, no wars- Just us.”

“And the mold.” Janne added quickly.

“ _ Yes.  _ And the mold.”

“You could at least light a candle or two. This looks more like a funeral.”

“Ayy… I would, but..” Leonali looked a little down. “This is my first time doing this alone.”

Janne gave her a long look. “Who said you’d do it alone?”

“Huh?” -And in the blink of an eye, she saw him unsheathe his sword. And in another blink, he withdrew his rapier. She was dumbfounded as light had now filled the room, every candle suddenly lit and the room around them awakening. Life was brought to the portraits, their faces now gleaming in plain sight. The marigolds that held everything together shined brightly against the flames, overlooking the bits of food that was meticulously placed on and around the ofrenda. 

Janne watched her face, waiting to see a change in the gloomy overtone she had been trying to hide all day. Without a word, he reached over the table and picked up a candle. He then held it between the two of them. And so, he watched her closely, as the light of the flame marked her pupil’s like targets. Leonali simply watched the moving flame, not moving or speaking. Her hands then reached up and closed themselves on the candle, carefully making sure to mind the other’s fingers. Her eyes then connected with his, a real smile born between the two of them that night.


End file.
